Chef survives bootcamp style obstacle course while supporting Island agriculture

Twenty of Vancouver Island’s hottest chefs – including Chef Ken Harper from Vancouver Island University’s Culinary Arts Institute – celebrated their love for local produce during the Chef Survival Challenge III: Quest for the Golden Broccoli on Sunday, October 3 at Madrona Farm in Victoria.

Harper described the event as a “culinary arts performance of epic proportions.” Dressed in an outrageous costume resembling spaghetti, meatballs and tomato sauce, Harper did Vancouver Island University proud by participating in a bootcamp style obstacle course, racing over the 27-acre farm to pick the vegetables he needed to create culinary masterpieces that later went up for auction.

“I thought the event sounded like a lot of fun and it was," said Harper. "I wanted to participate because this was a fundraiser for the The Land Conservatory (TLC) and some of the funds raised will also go the Island chefs Collaborative, a group I have been a part for about eight years which gives grants to local farmers and producers."

Before the event, Harper said he hoped not to embarrass himself too much, however, during part of the race he flipped his kayak and landed in a pond while trying to beat other chefs to a bag of condiments. The mishap had a happy ending with Harper providing comic relief for spectators and generating publicity for VIU's Culinary Arts Institute.

First-year Culinary Arts student Nathan Langford assisted Harper at the competition. Harper plans to showcase photos from the event on a display panel for his Culinary students, proving that Chefs know how to let their hair down and have fun on the job. “I also think it is important that students be aware of causes and agricultural groups, and to understand how fragile our fresh food economy actual is,” Harper said.

Harper believe that participating in good-natured fun food events highlight Chef's commitment to local agriculture. By sacrificing the luxuries of a restaurant kitchen, they hope to underscore the enormous importance of good ingredients to the creation of fabulous meals and raise awareness about the need to preserve our dwindling farmland for farming.

New to this year’s event was “What’s on the Plate Mate?” where contestants from the audience were invited on stage, seated at a dressed dinner table and blindfolded while they tasted and identified ingredients from dishes prepared by a “secret chef”. The winner was crowned as “Foodie Connoisseur of the Year”.

Ninety percent of ticket sales from the event went to TLC’s agriculture program including the Pender Island Community Farm Project, and 10 percent to the Island Chef Collaborative, a local group who assist in directing funds to new farmers.

Harper, meanwhile, is already planning his costume for next year's Chef Survival Challenge.